Archimedes Texts

339
that by the dilatation of the Chest the
contiguous Air is thrust away, and that
pressing upon the next Air to it, and so
onwards, the Propulsion is continued till
the Air be driven into the Lungs, and so
dilate them: When this (I say) is an
swered, it is Objected even by Bartholine
himself, as a convincing Reply, that, ac
cording to this Doctrine, a Man could not
fetch his Breath from a great Vessel full of
Air, with a slender Neck, because, that
when his Mouth covers the Orifice of the
Neck, the dilatation of his Thorax could
not propell the Air in the Vessel into his
Lungs, by reason of its being separated
by the inclosing Vessel from the ambient
Air; and yet, say they, Experience wit
nesses that out of such a Vessel a Man may
suck Air. But of this difficulty our Engine
furnishes us with an easie Solution, since
many of the former Experiments have ma
nifested, That in the case proposed, there
needs not be made any (though 'tis true
that in ordinary Respiration there is wont
to be made some) propulsion of the Air by
the swelling Thorax or Abdomen into the
Lungs; since upon the bare Dilatation of
the Thorax, the Spring of that internal
Air, or halituous substance that is wont